Art.Write.Now.DC 2016-17 is now on display!

by The Alliance //
Students whose works appear in the exhibition or read their writing during the opening ceremony pose on stage with members of the organizations that partnered together to make Art.Write.Now.DC 2016–17 possible.

The Scholastic Awards once again partnered with the U.S. Department of Education, the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, and with support from the National Endowment for the Arts, to present Art.Write.Now.DC 2016–17! This exhibition, featuring a selection of works from the 2016 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, opened on September 16, 2016 and will be on display until July 2017. The opening reception and Awards ceremony were attended by approximately 250 guests, including students who received National Medals in the 2016 Scholastic Awards and their families, educators, and Affiliate Partners.

Art.Write.Now.DC 2016-17

The ceremony was an intimate event where remarks were given by Director of the Office of Indian Education Joyce Silverthorne, National Art Education Association Executive Director Deborah Reeve, and Executive Director of the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers Virginia McEnerney. Jessica Clark, a recipient of a 2016 Golden Educator Residency and a teacher at Lumberton High School in North Carolina, was a special guest speaker. She shared a video where she discussed how her background as a member of the Lumbee Tribe influences her artwork.

Former National Student Poet Aline Dolinh read some of her poems which received Gold Medals in the Scholastic Awards. The opening ceremony was followed by a formal ribbon cutting.

Guests were then welcomed at the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities and the Institute of Museum and Library Services to complete the exhibition viewing.

In addition to the ceremony, students participated in an Editorial Cartoon workshop sponsored by The Herb Block Foundation. The workshop was presented by Lauren Weinstein, a cartoonist and Scholastic Awards Alum. Representatives from The Herb Block Foundation observed the workshop and offered valuable insight into Mr. Block’s artistic process.

We provided technical training and opportunities to discuss strategic outreach and engagement with new student populations and underserved communities to our Affiliate Partners who attended the ceremony.

As always, it was a delight seeing our students’ faces light up when they viewed their works on display and read their works during the ceremony. The Art.Write.Now.DC exhibition is one we look forward to every year, and we hope that the next time you’re headed to D.C., you’ll make an appointment to stop by the U.S. Department of Education and check it out for yourself!